10 Content Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

There are countless businesses working diligently to leverage their position in the content marketing rat race. It is no great secret that the future of marketing will consist of content marketing and SEO as we move further into an “Internet of Things” world. Small businesses, in particular, may be feeling the pressure to compete with big name brands to rank well on the likes of Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

Content Marketing is undoubtedly the champion of 2014 as businesses push out infographics, videos, blogs and everything in between to stand out in the inaudible chaos of capturing the online consumer. Small businesses may begin to feel as if they are on a proverbial hamster wheel trying to create new and engaging content. The following list will detail various ideas that will keep ideas fresh and content flowing; to keep your audience intrigued and the search engines in your favor.

Respond to controversial articles or industry practices. By responding to these types of content you are leveraging yourself and most importantly your brand as having its finger on the pulse of current events and as a figurehead for thought-provoking content.

Use social insight programs to keep up with what’s trending and create content pieces around them.

Brand all of your content pieces to keep your name top of mind and to get credit for your work. This means adding your company name and URL to every piece.

Create timely content pieces based on holidays and special events, but put an industry twist on it. For example, if you are a company that offers security awareness training discuss holiday online shopping scams during seasonable months.

Create How-To or Tips for your industry. Content that uses lists and tips receive a greater number of clicks than simple information.

Create “human” content. You don’t always have to sell the reader on your industry or expertise. Share other personal things about you, your employees or even your customers.

Create a unique Infographic. Creating infographics that contain scalable fact and figures are cool, but creating an infographic on cool or interesting facts, stats or novelty things relevant to your industry or consumer is even cooler. A great example of this is Nike Fuel’s use of infographics to motivate its consumers. Here’s a snapshot:

8. Utilize slideshow platforms like SlideShare. Slideshows allow you to become creative while generating leads.The service is free but if you want to add call-to-actions within your slideshow you have to become a paying member. (You are allowed 1 link within a slideshow free of charge.) Discover more about SlideShare for Content marketing here.
9. Take a survey or poll asking your viewers what they would like to read, see or even experience next from your brand. The best ideas can come from your consumers. Crowdsourcing can give businesses consumer insights and make their viewers feel as if they are a part of a community.
10. Reuse and re-purpose old blogs, white papers, guides or articles. You can easily turn an online white paper into a SlideShare or a how-to or tips blog into an infographic or video.